We don’t care if Americans approve of our close ties with Russia or not – former Turkish president

Turkey has launched a major military campaign in Syria, vowing to destroy Islamic State and contain Kurdish forces from expanding in the area.

With a handful of international players already active in the conflict, it’s proving difficult to operate in a complex web of allegiances on the ground. On the home front, Ankara is reeling from a failed military coup, facing a Kurdish insurgency, terrorism and struggling to cope with millions of Syrian refugees on its borders. Can Turkey contain its acute troubles? And how far can it take the battle against ISIS? We’re joined by a central figure in Turkey’s political establishment, former President Abdullah Gul, on SophieCo.